


Blast From The Past

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Community: hc_bingo, Community: mcsheplets, Established Relationship, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 20:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4277202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team arrive on a world about to be irradiated by a star that died thousands of years earlier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blast From The Past

**Author's Note:**

> Written for:  
>  **mcsheplets** 201: Blast from the Past  
>  **hc_bingo** prompt: homesickness

Rodney stared at the readings on the main display screen, counting down the last few seconds as the wave front swept towards the planet. In the caverns behind this room, hundreds of people were huddling in fear, relying on him to save them all. Once again Rodney wondered at the odds of them arriving here only a two days before a blast of radiation from a dying star thousands of years ago finally reached this populated world.

He glanced at John, always amazed at how easily John charmed people into trusting him, offering an air of confidence in him and his team that resonated through the frightened mass of people, keeping them calm. His own attempts at displaying confidence always seemed to come across as arrogance, offering little reassurance to strangers.

The initial front from the blast had interfered with the Stargate, making it impossible for them to dial out, and as the _Daedalus_ was back in the Milky Way there would be no last minute rescue from her. He concentrated as the first tendrils of lethal radiation reached the atmosphere.

"Raising shield in three. Two. One."

Rodney slammed his palm down on the panel and watched as the almost depleted ZPM raised the shield surrounding this Ancient installation one last time.

"Teyla?"

"Shield is holding, Rodney."

He slumped slightly over the console. It had been a race against time to repair the crystal relays and work out exactly how much power was remaining in the ZPM. Not enough had been the short answer until John reminded him that this was not like Earth with its population scattered across the whole surface of the planet. They didn't need a planetary shield, though fitting several villages totaling nearly five hundred people with whatever they could carry - and their animals - into the caverns had been a hard squeeze.

And the smell? He preferred not to think about it, or breathe in too deeply, desperately wishing he was back in their clean and fresh, shared quarters on Atlantis.

If his calculations were correct - and he'd no reason to doubt them - the lethal radiation burst would have passed across the planet within two days. All they had to do was wait for Atlantis to make contact and ask for assistance in getting the people and their livestock safely off this irradiated world. Teyla had already offered them a chance to rebuild on the Athosian homeworld. Although they hadn't quite understood the necessity at first, she had gently explained in terms they could understand how the radiation would affect the land and any living creature outside of the shield for centuries to come.

With nothing left to do now but monitor the shield and deal with any power fluctuations, Rodney took a deep breath in - instantly regretting it from the smell of farm animals and unwashed humans. He winced, wrinkling his nose, and rolling his eyes when John grinned at him knowingly.

"Teyla and Ronon can stand watch for a few hours. Get some sleep, Rodney."

"I'm not..." A huge yawn overtook him, startling him, because he hadn't felt tired until John mentioned sleep.

It occurred to him that he'd been working flat out from the moment he identified the incoming danger. He let John lead him to the far wall where John or the others had set up a small camp area, taking it turns to rest while he worked on relentlessly. Dark smudges under John's eyes, visible in the harshly lit Ancient laboratory, made him feel a little guilty. From the tiredness displayed by his teammates, they had all worked long hours too, helping the evacuation of the villages into the safety of the caverns.

He dropped cross legged onto the sleeping bag laid out on the hard floor. He missed their large, luxurious bed, and even the ridiculous shiny curtains that John insisted had come from Teyla as a gift.

' _I wouldn't want to offend Teyla,_ ' he had stated, but Rodney knew he secretly loved those shimmering curtains.

"Coffee?"

"Sleep," John replied adamantly, smiling at Rodney's grumble of annoyance. "You'll thank me later."

He couldn't recall falling asleep but he awoke to the aroma of hot stew and coffee, and the feel of John's arms wrapped around him. His warm breath stirred the finer hair at the nape of Rodney's neck, and Rodney smiled at the now familiar and loved feeling. Teyla sat down gracefully just a few feet away, smiling gently as she indicated towards the bowls she had set down close by, and Rodney felt a moment of guilt as he accidentally elbowed John in the side in his scrabble to sit up and snatch up one bowl.

"How long...?" he asked around a mouthful of a delicious mystery-meat stew.

"You have both slept for seven hours."

"Huh!" he glanced across at the control console and rolled his eyes as Ronon grinned back at him. "I'll assume the shields held so I wasn't irradiated in my sleep."

Thirty-six hours later Atlantis checked in, and despite his grumbles and his strong desire to be back on Atlantis soaking in their obscenely large tub, Rodney was glad when John refused to return to Atlantis before every single one of the Yegani was safely transported by Puddlejumper through to the Athosian homeworld. Both of them could have handed their duties over - Rodney to Radek, John to Lorne - but although he made a fuss, Rodney preferred to see the mission through, feeling responsible for these people.

When the last of the Yegani left, a silence descended upon the Ancient facility. On John's orders, Miller had left one of the Puddlejumpers behind and hitched a ride back with Lorne. Rodney could sense John watching him as he pottered around the console, downloading information from the database. The shield would last perhaps another two hours but Rodney had no intention of cutting it that fine. He smiled when John nudged his shoulder as they worked side-by-side to pack the last few items into their backpacks.

"Ready?" John asked.

Rodney took one last glance around, stopping when the sweep of his eyes reached John. His dark hair was messier than usual, uniform dusty from sleeping on the floor and assisting the Yegani. His eyes were still shadowed by fatigue and he had a tired smile that lifted only one side of his mouth. He looked as beautiful as ever to Rodney, and that lurch in his stomach warmed him from the inside out as John moved closer, just as it did every time they were together. A strong hand cupped Rodney's unshaven cheek in a familiar gesture, and Rodney sighed into the soft press of lips.

"Let's go home," John murmured.

"Yes. Let's," he breathed back, and together they left the irradiate world behind them.

END

 


End file.
